


Just an Illusion

by artichokefuccboi



Category: Borderlands, Tales of the Borderlands
Genre: M/M, Stripper AU, Vaughn is jealous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 13:02:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6080406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artichokefuccboi/pseuds/artichokefuccboi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>August has to control his mother's club on the busiest night of the year, and he only has six dancers, himself included, to last the whole night. Everyone's gonna be sore, but dammit, he is a determined man to make his ma proud.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just an Illusion

Tonight was going to be busy. They were severely understaffed for the night, and there was a line going three blocks down waiting for the club to open.

“W-we are so done for.” Timothy wrung his hands together as he paced back and forth. “W-we can’t s-start a show tonight with only f-five dancers at most! We’ll be eaten alive!”

“Relax cupcake.” Jack extinguished his cigarette and blew the smoke in Timothy's direction. Tim waved his hand wildly while coughing. Such weak lungs were going to be the death of him one day. “We got it under control.”

“We better.” August grumbled as he tossed his phone onto the metal counter. Both sets of mismatched eyes turned to stare at him as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Ma’s pissed as it is that so many assholes decided to cancel on the biggest fuckin’ night of the year. She expects a huge profit from tonight.”

Timothy moaned as he sank down onto the couch beside Jack. “We’re done. We are so d-dead.” Jack smacked Tim on the back of the head.

“You idiot, that just means some of us are going to have to double up, is all. Nothin’ to worry about. Right princess?” August stalked across the room without answering, ripping a cabinet open. 

“I guess I gotta help you assholes not fail tonight.” Bottles clinked together and threatened to fall from their narrow perch as August removed a tub of hair gel. “So we got six dancers tonight. That help you a little, Lawrence?”

Timothy sighed. “I-I guess.”

 

***

“No.”

“Vaughn, come on!” Rhys dropped to his knees, two large vouchers crushed between his palms as he brought them together. “It’s the biggest night of the year, and we could only  _ dream _ of the amount of money it takes to get into this place. I had to do so much grunt work for  _ Assquez _ to get these things!” 

“I said no, Rhys. Why don’t you ask Yvette?” Vaughn didn’t stray his eyes from his book. If Rhys wanted to beg and plead like a child all night, it wasn’t going to be his problem. It wasn’t like he asked Rhys to do overtime for vouchers into some expensive, high class strip club.

“Yvette hates strip clubs. Plus, most of the dancers are guys.” Rhys waves the vouchers in front of Vaughn again, actually drawing his attention from the words on the page. The large puppy eyes and the quivering lip made Vaughn sigh and mark his place before setting his book down.

“When’s the show?” Rhys bounced onto his feet, rolling back and forth on his heels.

“It’s in a couple of hours. We have enough time to get showers and go get in line. We want the best seats in the house!” Vaughn’s jaw dropped, and he was about to complain about the fact that Rhys was so excited when they were pretty much late to one of these events to begin with, but his best friend was gone before he could let one word out.

Vaughn slumped into the couch, staring at the floor. What did he do to deserve this? The thought of going to a club where all of the strippers were going to be rubbing up on Rhys didn’t sound too appealing. 

Grumbling, Vaughn pushed off of the couch and grabbed something decent to wear before he got into his shower.

***

“Alright ladies, we got a few minutes until show time.” August clapped his hands, and the loud din of conversation cut off as all eyes were on him. “We are in shark week right now, and some asswipes decided to cut us and leave us to bleed right for ‘em. So tonight, we’re gonna give them one hell of a show. No man or woman will leave this place unsatisfied.” There was a hum of agreement that swept through the group before August took one final stabilizing breath.

“We are not just some strippers. We are a family. Some of us don’t even have to be here.” Eyes turned to Jack momentarily before going back to August. “But they are here, because if there is one thing our kind does best, is we bring the fuckin’ house down. Now let’s go out there, and make some bank tonight.”

August jumped off the table as the group all stomped and whooped in excitement. Timothy was nervously shaking in the corner, plucking at the tank top he had on.

“You go first, killer.” August touched Timothy on the bare shoulder, making the taller man jump. If he paid enough attention despite the darkness of the back room, he could see the black box attached to Timothy’s belt. A microphone, so that he could be heard.

“Good choice. They’ll go nuts over it.” Timothy smiled as August patted his neck, pushing him towards the stage door. “Get ‘em warmed up for Jack, won’t you?”

“Y-yes boss.” Timothy ducked his head as he exited the stage door. Briefly, the excitement of the crowds outside snuck into the back room, making the rest of the dancers tense.

Oh it was going to be a long night.

***

How Vaughn and Rhys both managed to get passed the door security, Vaughn would never want to know. They also got the table closest to the stage, right within touching range, if it was wanted. Rhys had disappeared once the crowds began to pour in, leaving Vaughn at the table alone to fend for Rhys’ spot as people tried to get as close as possible.

“I can’t believe we are here, man.” Rhys squeezed between the mass of people, carrying two tall glasses of bright orange liquid. Rhys gave one to Vaughn before reclaiming his seat. “It seems like a dream.”

“I hate to ask, but the drinks must be astronomical if the admissions is over a hundred.” Vaughn tested the drink, and it burned on the way down his throat. He grimaced at the glass before setting in on the table between him and Rhys. Rhys frowned at him before downing his glass and grabbing Vaughn’s abandoned one.

“It’s all on Vasquez’s tab tonight. Every last cent. Including,” Rhys pulled two huge wads of cash from his pockets, pressing one into Vaughn’s hands. “No show is complete without making the workers dance on money.”

Vaughn’s hand curled around the bundle. It was as thick as his fist, full of ones and fives that easily equalled to Vaughn’s entire paycheck and more. The temptation to just pocket the money to screw over one of the biggest dicks in the building was high, but Rhys was watching him. 

“Alright. So how long do they expect us-” The crowd began to cheer behind them, drowning out the sound of Vaughn’s question. Rhys’ attention snapped to the stage as one of the dancers strutted his way to the center. There was a click, some feedback, before someone began to sing.

“Timothy.” Rhys was starstruck, eyes wide and on the edge of his seat. Vaughn grumbled as he melted into the leather upholstery. If only the club was a little more silent, Vaughn could fall asleep in the darkness and wait for Rhys to wake him up when the show was over. But the crowd was collectively losing their damn minds behind him, and honestly made him miss his murder mystery novel. 

There was a flicker of a headlight, and the dancer was revealed. His act was more voice than anything, if the slow movements and slightly shy hip rolls were anything to go by. Timothy, as Rhys called him, was more than willing to engage the audience. Hands trailed across the dancer’s torso as he teased his tank top up his waist.

Timothy passed Rhys on his way, letting his fingers run through the gelled locks of his friend before moving on. Every move was calculated, meant to draw attention to the dancer’s hips and legs.

“Oh god he’s amazing.” Rhys sighed, his hand running right through where Timothy touched. Vaughn scoffed, nearly silent by the screams as Timothy landed on his knees in front of a girl. 

The curtains around the stage fluttered, and Vaughn could barely see someone poke their head around the edge. Once they caught sight of Timothy, they retracted into hiding.  _ That’s odd _ , Vaughn stared at Rhys. His friend as too enamored at the contact from the dancer. 

The sound of Timothy’s shirt being torn was caught by the microphone, and boomed through the speakers so that Vaughn thought that he was right next to the entire thing. With one glance backwards, he saw TImothy bend back, only in a very thin pair of underwear with money practically  _ raining _ on him.

“Huh.” Vaughn finally caught Rhys’ attention. “Maybe I should consider a career change.” Rhys snorted and nudged Vaughn’s shoulder. The lights darkened, and the microphone was cut off. Through the darkness, Vaughn felt someone rush past him, bumping into his shoulder by accident before the figure leapt onto the stage and disappeared behind the curtain.

Rhys was standing up, cheering with the rest of them. Vaughn never felt more embarrassed.

***

“You’re act could have just saved this entire show, sweetheart.” Jack whacked Timothy on his exposed cheeks before he could escape to get dressed. Timothy yelped, jumping away with his hands covering his ass. 

“J-Jack!”

“Don’t start that stutterin’ thing again, cupcake. I just heard you out there.” Jack laughed as he downed what was left of his beer. “Cool as a fuckin’ cucumber. Look at your underwear, Timtam! Chicks dig you!”

Timothy flushed a bright red before he turned around and went to get his clothes. August was pacing back and forth while anxiously staring at the exit door.

“You’re gonna put a hole in the floor if you keep doin’ that, princess.” Jack tossed his bottle into the garbage before straightening his suit out. “Trust me, I look fuckin’ great. Getting married to me is  _ everyone’s _ favorite fantasy.”

August glared, nodding his head towards the stage door. “Then go make some people happy. Ma doesn’t appreciate slackers.” Jack tilted his head back and, with one more tie fixing, strolled right out the door and onto the stage. August began to chew on his nails as he waited for the music to start playing.

Timothy returned moments later, stuffing bills into his pockets. “I-is Jack out there?” 

“Yes, he is. And he’s right, cut the stuttering bullshit. You act like you haven’t done this before.” Timothy recoiled at August barking orders, and stared down at his hands.

“We’re are so fuckin’ stressed right now. One fuck up could ruin this entire night.” August paced more aggressively, running his hands through his hair. “Ma’s gonna kill me if her best night of the year is ruined.”

“D-don’t worry.” Timothy piped up, making August whirl around and glare. “J-Jack’s got this. I-if I didn’t ruin it already, t-then we still have a chance.”

August turned to stare at the door. He sighed and slumped onto the couch. “Here’s hopin, Tim.”

***

Just as Vaughn had expected, the attention was turned to the prettier of the duo. Rhys had gotten very excited when Jack was announced on stage. ‘Marry You’ played over the speakers as Jack strolled out, a suit tailored to his body and his eyes scanning the crowd. Blue and green met blue and brown, and Rhys nearly lost it.

His friend barely had time to turn to Vaughn and fanboy because that handsome dancer just looked at him before the dancer was on his knees before Rhys. Two workers appeared behind the table, one with a headband with a wedding veil attached and another with a bouquet of, quite frankly, beautiful roses. Rhys gasped when they were laid into his free arm, and the headband was placed on his head. With a frantic nod of his head, Rhys was whisked away by the handsome entertainer, leaving Vaughn exactly where he expected to be- alone at a table, watching with a frown as his friend was the center of attention for this guy.

He couldn’t stand to see Rhys go through the entire process of a temporary marriage with a stripper. He was happy for his bro, good on him for getting what he wanted. He just wasn’t in the mood to be left behind again.

“Should have begged Yvette.” Vaughn turned to face the stage in front of him instead of the one behind. The lights went from bright to dark red, and the bass picked up. The crowds cheered, and Vaughn just had to dare one more peek.

The stripper was laying Rhys down on his back in some huge swing, forcing his legs apart by pulling Rhys’ legs through leather straps attached to the metal chains connected to the entire frame. Yeah, no, he couldn’t continue watching that. Vaughn would rather have his woes, thank you.

Nothing brought him more pleasure than hearing the music end and the crowd cheering. Once again, the lights went dark. He heard someone flop into the seat next to him and the easy-going taps of shoes on the stage before it disappeared behind the curtain.

“Have fun?” Vaughn really didn’t mean to be so vicious. Rhys was just having fun. This really wasn’t Vaughn’s thing anyway, why was he so mad that Rhys was getting the attention? Rhys didn’t detect the malice in his statement though, and only giggled in response.

“He said to keep the ring. And,” Rhys waved his hand in front of Vaughn’s face so he could see through the darkness. “I got his number~.” His friend sing-songed, making the anger in Vaughn’s stomach only a little bit stronger.

“Cool. That’s really good for you.” This night was really horrible.

***

Thankfully for August, he was going to be the last act of the night. Meaning he had time to get a drink before he had to dance on stage. Strangely enough,he always saw himself back here again. He could never stay too far from the stage. His ma always said that he was a spotlight baby- always wanted attention on him.

August pounded on the bar to catch the bartender’s attention, then waved his hand. The bartender nodded before grabbing a shot glass and a full bottle of whiskey and giving it to him. It was nice being the owner’s son.

He was pouring his first shot when he noticed how energized the crowd was. That was good. His ma was going to get glowing reviews from tonight. This would make her so proud. The positive energy pumped him up, and he downed his shot with ease.

By his third shot he saw the only sore spot in the entire place. The guy looked miserable, like he just wanted to go home. That just wouldn’t do- he said it himself, no one leaves the club tonight unsatisfied.

With his last shot down, August passed the whiskey and the glass back to the bartender before making his way backstage. He was going to need to ask one of his buddies to double up with him, which would probably piss them off for having to perform twice tonight, but the routine he had in mind required a fancy frame and a duo-dance session.

Before he passed the door, he pointed one of the helpers in the direction of the mopey patron. “I want him in a chair. We’re doin’ the mirror. I don’t care who’s on the other side, but he’s on mine.” The staff nodded as August walked away. Showtime.

***

“Excuse me, sir.” Vaughn looked over, seeing the man who put the veil on Rhys’ head. “I’m gonna need you to come with me.”

Vaughn raised an eyebrow as Rhys stared at him. Was he getting kicked out? He wasn’t actually doing anything. With a sigh, Vaughn got out of the comfy seat and left his best friend behind, gaping at him like a fish. Well, he guessed it wasn’t so bad. Being on the curb was better than sitting with seething jealousy over his bro.

He was led behind a door, through a dark corridor, and behind the curtain of the stage. Two more staff members in tight black shirts were moving a giant frame in the middle of the stage, along with two chairs sitting back to back. He wasn’t liking where this was going.

“Um…” The staff member led him to the chair that was facing the audience. With reluctance, he sat down and watched as the man scurried away. “O-kay?” Another person was brought from the other side, and sat down in the seat behind him. He could feel long curly hair brush his neck.

“Aren’t you excited?” The woman bounced a little, giggling. “This is so impressive. No wonder this place is so expensive.” Vaughn opened his mouth when a spotlight flicked on, making him flinch and look away. Once he dared to look back, he saw the darkness of the crowds, all of them staring at him. Rhys was the only one he could really see, and he still had the dumb expression on his face.

“Oh boy…” Music faded in on the speakers, and out of the corner of his eye, Vaughn could see movement. The woman behind him squealed in delight, facing the opposite direction. Vaughn glanced to both sides and felt his throat go dry. Two different people were ascending those steps.

The blinding spotlight became blocked by a man with a bandanna covering the lower half of his face, and a hat barely covering his eyes. Vaughn struggled to breathe for a second as the dancer removed the hat, twirled it around his hand, then placed it on Vaughn’s backwards. By the sounds behind him, the woman was receiving the same treatment, especially when the brims of the hats clashed together as Vaughn tilted his head back.

The dancer circled him, a certain menacing power behind it that made Vaughn absolutely starstruck. The way his body moved seemed impossible, especially when he rolled his shoulders and dropped to the ground. So far, the dancer was far from him, not laying a single hand on him. Something close to excitement shot up his spine as he watched the bandanna get loose and fall around his dancer’s neck, revealing his face.

“O-oh.” Vaughn was so distracted by his face, the scruffy jaw and sharp cheekbones that when the dancer clapped his hands onto Vaughn’s thighs and spread them, he jumped. The dancer rolled his shoulders forward, getting directly into Vaughn’s space and making his heart beat faster.

The dancer jumped up on the chair, his feet on either sides of Vaughn’s thighs, crouching so that he was eye level. Gently, he ran rough fingertips over Vaughn’s face. The way he was looking at him, so expecting and silent and unmoving- Vaughn’s knees shook.

He stood up then, still balancing on the edges of the chair, before flipping backwards and landing on his feet. Before Vaughn could try to discover why that was so hot to him, the dancer spun around and curled, landing with his legs framing Vaughn’s hips and the chair, then grinded down into his lap. The overstimulation was making it hard for Vaughn to figure out just where to put his hands. Thankfully, the attractive blond made it easy for him by immediately getting off his lap after a few more hard rolls of his hips. 

However, that didn’t last long, as he plopped himself right back down into Vaughn’s lap and began to grind again. This time, though, Vaughn grabbed his thigh immediately. The blond bended back to get a better angle, flashing Vaughn a toothy grin of appreciation before hooking his leg behind his head.  _ Oh god _ , he couldn’t handle this guy who was just his  _ goddamn _ type too. It just wasn’t fair.

The dancer’s leg went back down and he stood up, giving one last roll before getting off. The music switched to something slow that thumped in time with Vaughn’s heart. The chairs were spun around, and Vaughn could see the woman with curly hair out of the corner of his eye. She had the biggest grin on her face as the chairs were lowered back gently.

Anticipation ran cold in Vaughn’s veins as the two dancers danced around the stage, riling up the audience. Rhys must be looking at Vaughn so jealous right now. Just the thought made him giddy. Just when he was beginning to miss the contact, his dancer slid right up to him on his knees, tank top in his hands as he tore the fabric from his body. It really wasn’t fair how this man was just the guy Vaughn always dreamed of. The lights were flashing, the beat was contagious, and this man was making Vaughn’s mouth water.

The dancer gripped the bottom edge of the seat, right between Vaughn’s legs, before he pulled it forward, rolling his hips while in the process. The action felt so raunchy, so intimate that Vaughn was couldn’t even breathe from how much he was turned on. He was absolute putty in this guy’s hands, and he didn’t feel a single bit of shame about it.

A few teasing rolls left Vaughn wanting more before the chair was pushed back again, and he was looking up at his dancer. The blond looked more than debauched, a light sheen of sweat covering his skin and his hair sticking up in all sorts of directions. If this guy looked bad, Vaughn was willing to bet that he looked so much worse. The entire place seemed to melt away as he felt strong arms around his waist and lift him up. He squeaked, glad for the loudness of the music, and wrapped his arms around his dancer’s waist to keep from falling right on his head. However, the strength didn’t seem to waver as the chair was kicked away.

Vaughn could see between the space of the dancer’s legs, and Rhys was clapping for him. He looked so amused and proud that Vaughn wanted to punch his arm or something. Before he could think to much on that, the dancer brought him back to the reality of the situation by flipping him around in his arms, easily maneuvering him around until he was safely back on his feet like he weighed next to nothing. He was glad that he wasn’t let go, because he doubted he would stand on his own with the way his knees buckled.

Callused hands traveled down, gripping his waist and flipping him around. They swayed a bit, the dancer grinding on Vaughn despite the height difference, before a hand on his neck pressed him to bend forward. His hands dropped to the floor, afraid of falling over when the crowd went insane. Now he could only feel the tempting hips grind against him. The only thing keeping him stable at this point was the firm press of hands on the small of his back.

The dancers twirled around, switching sides of the frame and continuing the grinding motion. Vaughn whined at the loss of the blond, as he seriously liked him, when they switched again. However, instead of continuing the grinding, the dancer approached his front. He placed on hand on Vaughn’s shoulder and pushed him to stand up straight. Once Vaughn thought it was over, that he was going to go back to being just a normal old accountant who no one noticed, the push continued. Gently, with arms around his back, the dancer laid Vaughn down on the floor. He ghosted his fingertips over his collarbone, letting them brush over his stomach and stopping at his hips.

The music changed again, this time with the lights turning a deep red. The dancer smirked at him before standing up. He heard both of them walk away towards the other ends of the stage. Vaughn worried, for just a moment, that they would switch again, and he would lose his pretty blond dancer. He could feel paper flying by his head and landing right next to him-

Just as his thoughts wandered, there was his dancer, on his hands and knees, sliding back with a fast grinding of his hips. After passing his head, Vaughn felt him flip around next to him and forced Vaughn onto his stomach. His back arched when he felt the dancer press against him, and a hand gripped his hair and yanked his head back. 

Everything moved so fast that Vaughn could barely process what was going on before the dancer moved again. A variety of positions occurred, and each one was more filthy than the last, until Vaughn honestly believed that he was being dry-humped on stage in front of thousands of people.

The only strange thing was how little he cared at that moment. 

The dancer grabbed his hand, staring down at him as if asking permission. Too late for that now, buddy, Vaughn thought as he nodded. Once again he gave a toothy grin as he hopped over Vaughn, rolling so that he was on his back. The dancer gripped Vaughn’s ankle, pulling him through the money pile on the floor and right onto his hips. He was facing the audience again, and the dancer was bouncing him. How was he not basically having sex with this guy with clothes on? This was basically what he was doing.

They were flipped around again with Vaughn’s back on the floor, and the dancer on his hands and knees above him. He swung his leg over Vaughn’s head and sat on his knees. Vaughn stared at him blankly until the blond rolled his eyes and grabbed Vaughn’s hands, bringing them to the waistband of his jeans. The shuffled around so that the dancer was standing and Vaughn was on his knees, looking up. 

A quick nod of the blond’s head, and Vaughn yanked as hard as he could. The fabric tore easily, revealing a bright gold thong. Vaughn dropped the torn jeans with his jaw dropped in shock. The dancer smiled and scooped Vaughn into his arms. Vaughn’s legs went around the dancer’s bare waist, and he was bounced along as the music began to fade and the lights returned to normal.

“See?” The dancer finally spoke, and Vaughn could only blink stupidly at him. “Smilin’ ain’t so bad, is it? You got a great smile there.” Vaughn was set down on his feet and led to the stairs. “Don’t let anyone take it from ya.” The dancer waved before gathering his torn clothing and disappearing behind the curtain.

“Bro, that was so awesome!” Rhys dragged Vaughn from his trance. He took a deep breath to realize that no, he was not dreaming, and yes, that did just happen. “See, knew you’d like this place!”

“Y-yeah…” Vaughn chuckled as he shook his way back to his chair. “Yeah… you’re right bro.” For the rest of the night, Vaughn had a huge smile on his face.

***

Once the night was over, August let out a sigh of relief. Everything worked out perfectly, and they even made more money than they did last year. His ma was going to be so proud.

“Good job, princess.” Jack patted August’s back as he put the money away in the safe. “Knew you could do it. Val should let you run the place more often.” 

“Thanks, Jack. No, seriously, we couldn’t have done this without you.” August held out a stack of cash that Jack scoffed at.

“Who do you think you’re talkin’ to, sweetcheeks? I don’t need your money. Save it. I enjoy doin’ this.” Just as August was about to insist, Jack’s phone rang. “Well, looks like that’s my blushin’ bride to be! You see the legs on that guy? Damn! I’m gonna go. You have a good night, pumpkin.”

“You too, Jack. Thanks for everything.” August watched Jack leave with his bag. Very carefully, he placed the money in his hand in the safe and shut it tight. He wasn’t the only one left, and god forbid if he had to lock up. What he needed was a good aspirin and some time off his back. Maybe throwing himself down when he did that roll over the kid wasn’t such a good idea after all.

At the thought of the kid, August smiled softly. It felt good to make someone smile. It’s what he loved to do. Hopefully, he could see the guy again. It would be nice to, anyway.

With his backpack on his shoulder, August closed his locker and walked out the back door. His majestic bike sat, parked just where he put her.

“H-hello?” August jumped at the voice, and whipped around to see- oh.

“Hey.” With his bag forgotten by his motorcycle, he approached the smaller man. It really should be a thing to not be as small and adorable as the guy in front of him. “You like the show?”

“W-what? I mean, yeah… yeah, I did. Thank you… um…” The guy produced his hat, the one he put on the other man at the beginning of his act. To be honest, he was surprised the guy didn’t try to steal it or something. “This is yours, I wanted to uh… give it back to you. O-oh! And give you this.” He pulled a huge wad of cash from his pockets that frankly, August was sure would make his ma very,  _ very _ proud.

Their hands brushed when August accepted the hat and the money, making the man flush further. He was really too cute. “Thanks…” The tension set in afterwards. The guy was obviously here for something other than returning the hat, but he refused to meet August’s eyes. He focused on the ground instead, kicking at the gravel.

“You wanna get coffee sometime?” The man glanced up at him with wide eyes. He had such pretty green eyes, he could lose himself in them-

“U-uh… yeah, I’d love to.” August smirked as he held his hand out. The man looked a little shocked, and a whole lot aroused. 

“My name’s August.” As if snapping back to reality, the man reached out and took his hand, giving one firm shake before they both let go.

“I-I’m Vaughn.” 

“Well, Vaughn, it’s nice to meet you.” The irony of the situation was making August excited, but Vaughn was obviously very uncomfortable. He obviously hasn’t done this before. “What do you say to gettin’ out of here?”

Vaughn blinked, and hid his smile behind his hand. “Y-yeah… yeah, I’d like that.”


End file.
